


Old Soldiers Never Die...

by Aesos



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Heartwarming, Heavy Angst, Multi, Old Friends, all of the feels, passing of the torch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 13:38:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14286093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aesos/pseuds/Aesos
Summary: Inspired by a headcanon on Discord, that was inspired by this image:Old soldiers never die.(by vast-thoughts on Tumblr, and seen at the beginning of the story)





	Old Soldiers Never Die...

The mid-day sun was warm, but the air was cool. Birds sang, dogs barked in the nearby park... it was THE perfect day.

He stood at the wall, in full gear, with his gloved fingers tracing the names etched in the marble. He reasoned that no one would mess with a fully suited SAS at the memorial wall, and he really didn't want to be interrupted. The battered uniform hung over his frail body, but he stood proudly in it, almost like it was holding him up. Instead of magazines in the pouches, only one carried a packet of tissues. Caliber's doing he reckoned.

She was the only other person with him now, and she watched him silently, tears rolling gently down her face. It was a moment beyond words, and she was humbled to have been asked to come along with him. 'Just one last time, love.' he'd said to her.

He had always had a soft spot for the Canadian gal. She was fierce and determined, and didn't put up with bullshit.. a lot like his SAS boys. Almost 30 years ago now, when they'd been tasked to Rainbow together, he'd helped her modify his EMP to fit into a specially made casing that Caliber hadn made herself. He had really enjoyed helping her out with that, loved imparting knowledge. She was carrying on that tradition, staying at Hereford to help the current Rainbow team take on new threats to the peace of the world. She was one of the few that were still in the business, so to speak.

"You know..." he started, his voice graveled and weary. "No matter how many times I come here, it doesn't get any easier."

He was a far cry from the man she used to know. He was in his 80s now, and his life of soldiering was finally catching up to him. He wasn't long for this world now, but he'd insisted on going to the wall. His full medal sat above his heart, all buffed and proper. He started to shift away from the wall, his hands trembling. Caliber moved in closer, with the wheelchair she'd been standing behind, and helped him down into it. He patted her hand, as he'd done so many times in these last few months. She reached over and gently took the gas mask from his face. The balaclava underneath was damp with sweat as she pulled that off too. He'd insisted on wearing the damned thing, despite her protests.

"I know Gramps." she smiled, her own face creased with age. She should have retired by now, but there was still so much left in her. And he had been such an inspiration to her.

"Oh, would ya stop calling me that! How many times have I told you that now?" he grumbled, with a stupid grin on his face.

Truth was, he loved the moniker. He'd always watched over the others in Rainbow, even if they were adults themselves. It was just his nature. He cared for them, but he had a gruff way of showing it. Always with the banter and the witty commentary. They all loved him for it.

"I've lost count, but feel free to tell me again and again." she laughed, as she put her hand on his shoulder.

He looked back at the wall. "I always thought they'd outlive me, those boys." She didn't need to ask who he was talking about. He was staring at the spot where the names of Smoke, Sledge and Mute were gouged into the granite. "They were good kids, the lot of them." he smiled warmly, his eyes glittering in the sunlight. She took his hand and squeezed gently, and he squeezed back.

"While we were serving in Rainbow, I'd take a jaunt out here some days, when it was quiet around the base. I'd come alone, and just sit here with the old boys gone before us. They're not a loud bunch, and it was nice to get away from you hooligans." he chuckled, his body bouncing a little.

"When I'd get back, the boys would always have a pot of tea ready, and cards lined up on the edge of the table. They just knew. Never said a word, but they just knew. I loved em for it, though I'd never admit it to them. Didn't want to look like I'd gone soft on them." he laughed now, and it turned into a coughing fit. After he'd recovered, he patted her hand again and kept talking. It felt good to get this out.

"I knew damned well they'd spiked the shite. I never really liked the brew they used, but it was tea, and it was made with brotherly love. So I drank it. It always served to calm my nerves, but I guess that was the point. We'd sit around the table and play stupid board games too. I swear, those boys enjoyed hearing me curse and complain about every little thing!"

He fell quiet for a bit, and she sat in companionable silence, listening to the birds.

"I've done some terrible things for queen and country, and I know I don't need to tell you. Some things are better off being taken to the grave. But I do want to tell you that I loved you all, like my own. Its fitting that it be in my final days that I actually tell one of you lot. Bloody hell, these words don't come easy."

"Thatcher..." she started.

"No, please love, call me Mike. You've earned that right dear." his eyes lit up, and his hard features softened, just a bit.

"Mike," she smiled. "You don't need to say it. We all felt it, and we all knew. It's really not a thing that needs saying. But thank you... I wish there were more of us left to be here. Rainbow took a huge blow during the airport fiasco. We..." she looked down and played with her wedding band. They'd only been married a few months then, but she'd lost her Buck that day, along with the Blackbeard and the SAS boys. Thatcher had barely made it out alive, but he'd been saved from the fatal shot by one of the items in his vest. He'd never been able to walk right after that though, and was forced to retire. "We all still hurt."

He squeezed her hand. "That we do, but we carry on... always a little further."

She teared up when he said that, mentioning the inscription at the base of the SAS memorial in Hereford Cathedral. She'd seen it at the funeral service for the SAS boys. Her mind was reminded of the blue stained glass, interspersed with flashes of other colors. It was gorgeous then, and it made her heart heavy when the realization hit her that Mike's time was coming.

She squeezed his hand back.

"I'm tired love, but I don't want to leave them." The words were almost broken, and she could hear him sobbing. When he said tired, she knew it wasn't just his body he was referring to. It was the way he said it, defeated and morose.

"We'll stay as long as you like Mike."

"One last time." he mumbled, his eyelids heavy. "Would you bring me back to the wall, love?"

"Of course."

He shakily removed his gloves as she wheeled him over. He kissed his fingertips, and touched each of the names. Smoke. Sledge. Mute. Two others, that he clearly knew. Each one, a kiss. Then he reached out to the arms of the wheelchair and pushed himself up to his feet. With a strength that she couldn't believe, he snapped to attention, whipping his hand up in an old style British salute. The sunlight glinted off the tears, freely flowing over his sunken cheeks. Never in her life had she seen such a profound sight.

She instinctively joined him, snapping a salute of her own. Not just for them, but for him too.

When he heard her boots shuffle, his head turned to see her staring at him, proudly saluting him. His lips trembled as they fought to smile, but smile he did. The light on his face seemed to make the years melt, and she saw the face she'd met so many years ago.

His legs gave out, and she dove to grab him, settling him in the chair once more. He was overwhelmed, heaving with emotions. Instead of pulling away, she just hugged him. Amazingly, he hugged her back. They sat in this embrace for a moment, knowing now that it would be their last.

He pulled back and reached beneath his shirt. He pulled out his dog tags, two round disks on a silver chain, and she wept openly as he did so. He placed them in her hand and wrapped it with both of his. "Take care of them, dear. They're YOUR children now." He reached up, hand suddenly rock solid once again as he cupped her cheek and wiped the tears with his slender thumb.

"Agghhh... Please don't cry love. We all have our day. Thank you for being here for mine." She looked at him, and their gazes met through the cloud of tears. His eyes were lit by his smile, but it quickly faded.

His hand suddenly fell from her face, and into his lap. He looked away and stared at the wall. His shoulders slacked, and then his gaze dropped.

She knew then, that he was gone. She leaned over, and kissed his forehead, her tears dropping into his thinned silver hair. She ran her hand over his eyes, got up, and wheeled the chair back to the bench and sat down.

The birds chirped, and the dogs barked, but she heard nothing.

She called the base, and stayed with him until they came for him. She didn't know what else to do. While they moved him with the utmost respect, she found it hard to watch. She jumped in the back with him, leaving her own car at the memorial. She'd get it later.

This was something she needed to do. A last sentinal, standing watch one last time. And so she stayed with him, carried his coffin, and wept while the Last Post played. After the last had left the cemetary, and the goodbyes had been said, she stood by the grave, wearing his dog tags. She reached into her pocket, and grabbed her challenge coin. Thumbing over the JTF2 logo one last time, she flipped it into the grave.

"May you never buy another drink again, old friend. Your watch is over now."

With one last salute, she spun on her heel and marched off, ready to hassle the next bunch of recruits in his honour.


End file.
